As dwellers of the city, it’s often easy for us to be caught up in the swell of corporate systems and the urban lifestyle, meaning we miss out on what nature can offer us. This is why rewilding projects such as the East London Waterworks Park and (re introduction of beavers at Forty Hall estate) are vital for us to access that interaction with the wildlife around us.
In Enfield, an exciting project is taking place to regenerate a lost habitat. The Forty Hall Estate, a Jacobean manor house is now home to two beavers who are the first couple to live there in 400 years. Beavers once had a home in the dense woodland and riversides of the Enfield estate but were sadly forced out by hunting in the 16th century. This effort will hopefully be hugely successful, repopulating the lost species, right in the centre of North London.
Meanwhile, The East London Waterworks Park is programme that aims to develop an old Thames water depot, to create a “mosaic of habitats” for various kinds of wildlife, that would’ve lived in the space before it was built over. This work is carried out by volunteers who want to offer the residents of Walthamstow to “immerse themselves in nature” and help to support a “sustainable future” by transforming the brownfield site into something more than another industrial area, that will harmonise people in the city with nature.
As well as being a beacon of influence for the community, the Waterworks Park offers some exciting experimental spaces, such as the “Remediation Zone” which will explore natural ways to decontaminate the land, so that it can be used in alternative ways. They also plan to diversify the environment, by planting a “wildflower meadow” and fabricating shaded areas to encourage the presence of different invertebrates, toads and grass snakes. In addition to the habitats being made for wildlife, there is a rare opportunity for wild swimming in the park, with ponds that are open to the public.
This scheme is a great example of how rewilding can bring nature back to the city, in a way that benefits both wildlife and residents. East London Waterworks Park will indefinitely help to unite the community towards a more sustainable future.
